Archive

Loughrey family lodge complaint with OPONI

Sara Duddy, Derry News, | 27 November 2017

How can someone be a suspect in four murders but never be arrested or questioned by the police? How can you be named on the Police National Computer as being wanted for questioning for these murders, yet travel freely around the UK, even reportedly running a bed and breakfast in Scotland? These are...

VICTIMS of the Troubles who feel let down by the failure to implement legacy proposals in the Fresh Start agreement are being urged to send a message to the British government through a stark advert carried in Monday's Irish News. The highly unusual advert, which contains two blank pages, was taken...

The story of Thomas Curry

Steven McCaffery, Irish News | 03 May 2006

THOMAS Curry, a civilian sea captain from Lancashire, was gunned down by hooded men after going ashore in Belfast to post a letter. Capt Curry was well known at Belfast's commercial docks and he stopped for a drink in a nearby bar before returning to his vessel, the Orwell Fisher. The UDA/UFF launch...

Weapon's theft recorded in every county

Steven McCaffery, Irish News | 03 May 2006

The 'half-truths' presented to politicians are all the more shocking when set against yet another document listing how army guns were passed to loyalists. The document entitled 'Subversion in the UDR', detailed in yesterday's Irish News, revealed how loyalists launched major weapons raids on army ba...

Files confirm suspicions

Steven McCaffery, Irish News | 03 May 2006

THE significance of the files made public in the last 48 hours is that they have delivered confirmation of what was once dismissed as a 'collusion conspiracy theory'. They represent a substantial addition to the debate on how the Troubles developed and why violence lasted so long. For the first time...

FORMER POLITICIAN TALKS ABOUT HIS LIFE IN THE UDA, UDR AND THE RUC

Steven McCaffery, Irish News | 15 May 2006

A former unionist councillor has revealed that while he was serving as a lance corporal in the Ulster Defence Regiment, he was also a commander in the paramilitary UDA. In a frank interview in today’s Irish News he confirms that the British army was aware of his links to the loyalist group and tells...

Arrest policy for protestants - loose minute December 1972

Security forces and the UDA

One MoD memo from November 1972 titled 'Security Forces and UDA' instructs that operations 'should be directed against their criminal extremist elements whilst making every endeavour to maintain good relations with law abiding citizens in the organisation.' The RUC apparently had similar instructions. Vigilante type patrols should be tolerated…

Subversion in the UDR and Annex E

De-proscription of unlawful organisations (added May 2018)

Declassified 1974 NIO discussion doc on de-proscription of UVF and Sinn Fein. The juxtaposition of Sinn Fein (as opposed to the IRA) with the UVF tells us much about British government attitudes to loyalist paramilitary organisations. At the time the UDA remained legal and it would be another 18 years before London finally accepted that the UFF was nothing more...